Polyolefins Technology Continues to Evolve

In addition to discussions on mega trends in the global polyolefins arena, the first full day of Society of Plastics Engineers International Polyolefins 2017 conference featured new resins and additives. Here are some notable examples:

• LyondellBasell touted its Spherizone process—a 2-in-1 multizone circulating reactor which can produce novel PP grades, said to be suited for inter-material applications. Included are PP pipe grades that offer up to 30% weight reduction.

• SSNC (SABIC SK Nexlene Company...U.S. Office in Houston), the 2015, 50/50 joint venture between SABIC and SK International, is moving ahead with its development of high-performance PE products. They are produced by single-site (post-metallocene) catalysts with Octene-1 comonomer in the Nexlene bimodal solution process.

New materials include mMD-mLD grades with 0.5-3.0 MI and densities of 0.857-0.942. Newest is Nexlene mMD-PE, 0.945 density—a grade for pressurized pipe and underfloor heating pipe.

Also newly emerging are advanced polyolefin elastomers: POE with bimodality that offers better impact and POP with molecular design that renders it more elastic. There's also a new bimodal POE elastomer with improved heat resistance that's reportedly based in a 'new olefin—beyond octene' in performance. It is said to be lower in cost.

• Solvay (through its Cytec acquisition—now Cyasorb Cynergy Solutions) has developed two new patented and proprietary stabilizers, which made their global unveiling in Houston.

—Cyasorb Cynergy M535 UV stabilizer is for general PE injection molding applications where it has been shown to offer twice the performance of existing stabilizers and at reduced concentrations.